Naruto and Hinata
by fightingtrousers
Summary: A simply NaruHina romance that is meant to be enjoyable to all fans of the pairing (and even those who aren't) AU


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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"Naruto, are you okay?" It was an understandable question to be asking the fourteen year old shinobi. For all the years that Iruka Umino had taught the blonde, he had always eaten ramen with a gusto that was truly his own. However, that was not how the blonde was attacking the miso pork ramen in front of him. In fact, he was not attacking it at all. Moreso, he was picking at the ramen with his chopsticks. The ramen stand owners, Teuchi and Ayame Ichikaru, had also been worried but let the man who arguably understood the blonde best talk to him.

Naruto looked over to the chunin, someone whom he had not realized had been looking at him. "Yeah, sensei. Everything is alright."

Iruka gave a look that showed he did not believe him. "Then how come you are barely eating your ramen?"

Naruto looked down at his first bowl, not even half finished, and shoved a large amount of noodles into his mouth. "Sheee?" He said, food in his mouth. He began to chew. "I'm meating mit." He garbled out. Iruka still obviously didn't believe him, which he noticed. Somewhat dejectedly, he swallowed the food in his mouth. "Look, its…complicated."

"You know you can tell me anything, Naruto. So what's up?" Iruka said in a mature tone.

Naruto shifted his eyes around a bit, before sighing. "Well, I accidentally found out that Hinata likes me."

Iruka smirked a little. _So that's what is troubling him_, the sensei thought to himself. "How did that happen?"

"Well," Naruto began his story, "it started off when I was coming back from where I was getting, um, special training for…you know…that, from Jiraiya." Naruto tried to dance around the subject as delicately as he could since he didn't like talking about it, but Iruka understood. He had been getting training for harnessing the power of the Kyuubi. "Yeah, so I was going back to the village, when I heard Ino's voice by one of the training ground's. I figured that Shikamaru and Choji would be with her, so I was thinking we could maybe all go eat together or something. But when I was almost there, I realized she was actually sparring with Hinata. It was pretty cool watching it, both of them got really strong! I mean, Hinata with her Gentle Fist could kick my ass without it, you know?"

Iruka nodded. "I'm not surprised. She was always one of the strongest in the class, but her shyness hurt her a lot back then."

"Yeah, right? So, Hinata beat Ino and she was helping Ino out, and she gave her some medicine cream. So they began to talk, and Ino said something about the teme, and Hinata brushed it off. Then Ino says something like 'But I bet you would rather look at a certain orange wearing blonde' and Hinata gets really embarrassed. Then Ino begins to pester her about why she hasn't asked me out or anything, and if it was because of Sakura. And then Hinata says, 'I know he likes Sakura, and I don't want to make it weird since I know he only thinks of me as a friend." Naruto grabbed his head in frustration. "Then I left because I didn't want Hinata to find out I accidentally spied on her, and I came here to try to think about what I should do, and I have no idea, and UGH!" Naruto's head slammed into counter.

Iruka let out a small chuckle and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "So now you are trying to figure out what to say to her?"

Naruto raised his head and nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it isn't like she isn't really pretty or kind or something. I'm sure she would be a pretty awesome girlfriend. But I still like Sakura a lot, and I can't figure if I should ignore Hinata and keep going after Sakura or give up on Sakura and ask out Hinata!"

Iruka studied his student. "You would actually go out and ask Hinata out."

"Well, why wouldn't I? I'm not like Sasuke and would ignore a girl that I know who likes me. But I still really Sakura, and don't just want to give up on her first chance I get. It's really frustrating!" Naruto moaned out.

Teuchi, who had been enjoying the display, laughed to himself. "Kid, I don't get why you are getting so hung up on it. It seems like to me it would be easy to just go and date the girl who likes you. It seems like you already like her back."

Naruto swung his head to ramen chef. "What? Why do you say that?"

"Cause how you are talking about that Hinata girl, you would be interested in dating her anyway." The chef replied.

Naruto went wide eyed, and scratched his cheek. "Well, I mean, I only really liked Sakura. Hinata is just the only other girl that is really important to me, I mean my age, you know? I mean, I'm friends with Ino and Tenten, but I don't know them that well really."

Iruka decided to cover for his favorite (and most frustrating) student. "Come on, Teuchi, don't confuse him. He already has enough problems."

"Yeah, I do!" Naruto agreed with Iruka before realizing what was said. "Hey!" He turned to his teacher, a smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, it was just too easy." Naruto just grunted at his sensei and ate another bite of his ramen. "Anyway, I'm not sure what I can say that will help much. Except maybe that, if you decide to ask out Hinata, she will know you spied on her."

"Hey, I didn't spy on her! I just accidentally overheard her talk with Ino."

"Hn, who's talk with Ino." Naruto swivled around and looked at the person who just walked into the ramen stand, Sasuke Uchiha. "It really isn't good to spy on girls. You will start to act like Kakashi or that perverted guy you train with."

"I said I wasn't spying. It was an accident! Why won't anyone listen?" Naruto complained.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Kakashi said to meet him at 6 a.m. at the Hokage Tower tomorrow. Seems like he is finally going to let us take a B-Rank."

"B-rank? Awesome! Maybe we will run into someone strong finally!" Naruto cheered to himself. Iruka grimaced at the thought of his students taking a dangerous mission. It was a natural instinct for him.

"Yes, well, I suppose he is prepping you guys for the Chunin Exams in six weeks." He commented offhandedly.

Naruto grinned. "Finally! I thought we wouldn't be able to take it forever due to the teme over there."

Sasuke shot a look, but didn't comment as Naruto was technically correct. That had been part of his punishment for his attempted defection. In honesty, the Hokage had probably gone easy on him. He probably should have gone to prison, but since Naruto was so chummy with her he managed to avoid that. "Well, as long as I don't have to save you like usual, it should be fun."

Naruto just glared at Sasuke and ignored him. Sasuke didn't say anything and left the scene, going to his heavily monitored home. Naruto picked up his bowl and drank the broth completely and let out a sigh.

"Well, I guess I should go and rest up. Who knows how much time I will actually get to sleep during the mission?" He pulled out his frog shaped wallet and put down the money for his bowl. "Well, thanks for the talk, sensei."

"Yeah, well, you can look at it on the bright side. You know have a couple of weeks to figure out what you are going to do."

Naruto stopped and thought about it, nodding. "Yeah, I do. Well, see you later, sensei!" He left the ramen stand for his home.

Just out of sight, Hinata Hyuga had fled from her hiding spot and was making her way home, her face fully crimson.

_Naruto knew!_ She had overheard the conversation from the beginning and had been embarrassed to learn that Naruto had accidentally overheard her and Ino's conversation.

_Naruto is actually interested!_ This part actually excited her. He might actually ask her out now that he knew! She had been afraid about his reaction to finding out she liked him, but it was nothing like her fears. He was actually pretty receptive. And he had called her really pretty, and kind, and that she would be an awesome girlfriend. She had almost given herself away when she said that. _I wonder what he would have said if he knew I was there?_

In the end, she knew she had a few weeks until she found out for sure, until Naruto came back from his mission. She hoped that he would be okay for it.


End file.
